The Banxia clan is different from ordinary cultivators. They absorb and cultivate spiritual energy from water, so they are naturally close to water.
Xie Shuci was dumbfounded and couldn't believe it. "Water... can become a spirit?"
Sikong said, "Water is the origin of all things, so it's not surprising that it could become a spirit. However, this is just my guess. We'll have to go there to find out the specifics."
Xie Shuci nodded. "Then when do we set off?"
"Set off immediately."
"Okay, I've packed my bags."
"Dazhuang, go buy a boat, a big one."
"OK."
Before long, a cargo ship stopped on the waterway next to the inn.
Liu Dazhuang stood on the deck and waved to the group. “Brother Si, I’ve asked around. Do they rent or sell these boats? We heard we’re heading south to find the Cursed Mountain, and nobody’s willing to sell to us.”
Xie Shuci led the crane to the shore, looked at the large ship behind him loaded with cargo, and asked, "How did you get such a big ship?"
Liu Dazhuang said, "They're heading south anyway, so they'll give us a ride."
Sikong Xin leaped onto the deck, Xie Shuci first pushed the crane and the king up, and then turned around to pull Xie An up.
The cargo ship was too big, and it was quite troublesome to travel through the city's waterways. It took several detours along waterways without bridges before it was finally able to leave the city.
Xie Shuci sat on the deck enjoying the breeze and glanced back at the city.
Seeing a small fairy mountain peeking out in the distance, I couldn't help but sigh.
A gentle breeze blows across both banks of the river, and birdsong fills the sky.
Many green bamboos are planted along the bank, and the bamboo leaves fall onto the water and are gently parted by the oars.
"What are you thinking about?" Xie An stood beside him with his arms crossed.
Xie Shuci leaned back, supporting himself with his hands on the ground, gazing at the small fairy mountain that was gradually receding into the distance and shrouded in a thin mist, and sincerely said, "What is love in this world?"
Xie An lowered his eyes, as if he had been thinking for a while, and sat down next to Xie Shuci.
A delicate fragrance wafted in the air as the cargo ship sailed with the current, under a clear blue sky.
Xie Shuci seemed to remember something, lowered his head, and said in a muffled voice, "Little blind man, tell me, why do people who like someone not dare to admit it?"
Xie An lowered his eyes, placed his right hand on his waist, and twirled the bell, saying, "It's not that I dare not."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci's body stiffened. She turned her head and stared intently at him, asking, "Then what is the reason?"
Xie An pursed his thin lips, and after a long while, let out a soft sigh and said, "Xie Shuci, you may not understand, but for some people, emotions are a burden. They have no reason to exist and no meaning whatsoever. It's incredible that such an empty thing can often make people worry about it."
Xie Shuci's eyes dimmed. So, to you, they mean nothing, right?
Xie Shuci said with a hint of self-abandonment, "Then forget it. I'll just stay away from those people I think are a burden! Surely someone will find them meaningful? So I'll just like the people who find them meaningful, right?"
Xie Shuci felt a surge of sadness and inexplicably felt wronged. After speaking, he immediately got up to leave, but halfway there, Xie An suddenly grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him back.
"Don't be angry," Xie An said softly.
Xie Shuci flung his hand away and moved a few feet to the side, saying, "I'm not angry!"
Helpless, Xie An grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his side.
"What?" Xie Shuci glared at him, her tone impatient.
Xie An said, "You cannot go to anyone else."
"I've already gone to look for them! What can you do to me? It's none of your business anyway..."
Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, Xie An suddenly tightened his grip on his wrist.
Xie Shuci hissed as he was pinched, which made him even angrier. He spread his hands, looking like a rogue, and said, "Fine, then kill me!"
Xie An clenched his teeth and suddenly turned sideways to press down on Xie Shuci.
His body pressed heavily against Xie Shuci's four...
She pinned him against the wall, her lips pressed tightly together, seemingly displeased.
Xie Shuci tensed up, shrank his limbs, his eyes darted around, and his voice suddenly softened, "What are you doing? Move aside."
Xie An's dark pupils fixed on his face, his tone unusually firm, "If you go to someone else, I will be angry."
Xie Shuci was nineteen years old, but he was no match for this sixteen-year-old. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, and with the mindset of not wanting to lose face, he stiffened his neck and sneered, "What are you angry about? What right do you have to be angry? Besides, what can you do if you're angry? Eat me?"
Xie An narrowed his eyes dangerously, lowered his voice, and said in a threatening tone, "Yes, if you go to someone else, I'll eat you up."
His voice was close to my ear, with an unknown hoarseness.
Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat, and then began to beat erratically again.
Perhaps it's because he's read too much "sudden change" literature; Xie Shuci imagined other meanings in what was clearly a simple sentence.
As for that "eating", what kind of "eating" method could it be?
It's really not Xie Shuci's fault for not being pure enough. If someone lived in modern society, with such extensive literary experience, it would be abnormal for them to be of pure mind!
Xie Shuci's cheeks flushed instantly, and he became somewhat incoherent, "You, you're talking nonsense... You can't just say things like that..."
Xie An, however, did not understand his meaning and continued to threaten, "I will not only eat you, but whoever you dare to go to, I will kill them and devour them alive in front of you."
"..."
How come I suddenly have a vivid image in my mind?
Xie An's tone was cold and stern, not at all like a joke. Xie Shuci belatedly realized that when he said "ate", he really meant "ate" in the literal sense!
"Damn it! Don't talk nonsense, don't scare me!" Xie Shuci shoved him, involuntarily shivering.
Xie An moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't continue.
"Let go, Sikong Xin and the others will be out in a moment." Xie Shuci tried to pull her hand away from his grasp.
But Xie An not only didn't loosen his grip, he even tightened it, saying, "Where's Xie Xiaoci? Let him come out."
Xie Shuci choked up, and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "He's dead."
"He's not dead, he's just drunk."
Hearing this, Xie Shuci's anger flared up. "He's dead! Let go, I don't want to talk to you anymore! Let go!"
Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, Xie An suddenly pressed down on him, pinning his struggling hands against the wall, and lowered his head to kiss his lips.
Xie Shuci was still talking loudly, his jaw agape, when Xie An easily invaded his territory.
Xie Shuci shuddered, his struggling movements instantly freezing. He stared wide-eyed at the little blind boy's face so close to his own. The warmth lingering between his lips was exactly the same as in his mind's eye.
Perhaps sensing that Xie Shuci had stopped struggling, Xie An paused his intrusive actions, took a few inches back, and waited for Xie Shuci to react.
Xie Shuci was stunned by his kiss, her cheeks flushed, her eyes glazed over, and her lips, red and moist, were wide open as if inviting him to the next round of attacks.
He gasped for breath, finally regaining his senses after a moment. His arms were weak, and his mind was a mess. He raised his hand to wipe the water from the corner of his mouth. "W-what are you doing..."
His voice was weak and listless.
"Has Xie Xiaoci come back to life?" Xie An asked.
Xie Shuci took a deep breath, his eyes reddening. He pushed Xie An hard, but Xie An was as still as a stone, and he felt even more aggrieved.
"Didn't you tell him to forget? Didn't you tell him to pretend nothing happened? Didn't you refuse to admit it? You touched me inappropriately in Xu Yi's mind, and then acted all high and mighty afterward. Xie An, you're a despicable person! Watch out, or I'll sue you for sexual harassment!"
Upon hearing this, Xie An raised an eyebrow and said, "You know that the person in your sea of consciousness is me?"
Xie Shuci pointed at himself speechlessly, "Do you think I'm stupid? You're a minor, I wouldn't think about these things."
"Nonsense, if it weren't for you... how could this have happened..."
Upon hearing this, Xie An replied dismissively, "No? What did you dream about last night?"
"What I dream about is none of your business!"
"Not me?"
"You..." Xie Shuci was taken aback, "How did you know?"
Xie An remained calm and composed, saying, "You're talking in your sleep."
Xie Shuci's breath hitched, and a flame instantly ignited above his head. "I...I was dreaming, I couldn't control it! Who, who told you to keep seducing me?"
Xie An frowned. "When did I...do that to you?"
You know the answer in your heart.
Xie An said, "I didn't."
"Yes, you didn't. You were just testing the self-control of a hot-blooded young man like me!"
Xie An pursed his lips in disagreement, "You were the one who started it."
"You're talking nonsense! When did I ever..."
"Bianzhou, inn, dog demon."
Xie An suddenly threw out a few keywords, and Xie Shuci immediately recalled that night at the inn when the dog demon suddenly appeared. He was taking a bath and was so frightened that he ran out without even putting on his clothes properly, clinging to the little blind man and refusing to get down.
Now that I think about it, I wasn't wearing anything underneath at the time, and it seems, yes, there really was a little bit of something there that aroused his suspicion.
Once she figured it out, Xie Shuci immediately turned the tables, saying, "Then it's your fault for not being resolute enough. I was testing you."
"..."
After their bickering, Xie Shuci couldn't help but glance at him, wondering what the little blind boy meant by suddenly admitting it. Could it be that he also...?
Xie Shuci said casually, "Why did you suddenly admit it?"
"It wasn't sudden."
"Come on, you were acting all nonchalant before."
Xie An remained calm and said, "You didn't ask me."
"You won't tell me unless I ask?"
Xie An nodded noncommittally.
Xie Shuci was skeptical. Seeing that he was no longer speaking, she coughed and asked, "So what... do you mean now?"
Xie An avoided answering directly, instead asking, "What do you think?"
"We..." Xie Shuci carefully observed his expression, "...can this be considered mutual affection?"
Xie An was about to nod, but then he seemed to remember something and stopped nodding.
Xie Shuci's heart tightened immediately. He stared at him intently, wondering if this man was planning to take advantage of him and then deny everything. No way! He, Xie Xiaoci, would not tolerate such humiliation!
Xie An replied calmly, "I wouldn't say. After all, I don't have as much experience as you."
Xie Shuci tilted his head. "How am I so experienced?"
"Young Master Li," Xie An thought for a moment, then added, "He walks among a hundred flowers without a single petal clinging to him."
Xie Shuci: "..."
"Oh, I don't like them anyway. Besides, I haven't even complained that you're blind."
To everyone's surprise, Xie An's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and he was about to get up and leave without saying a word. Xie Shuci smiled and grabbed his arm, teasingly saying, "What's the rush? I was just joking."
Xie An was pulled back to sit down by him.
Xie Shuci said, "I don't look down on you, so you shouldn't look down on me either."
Xie Shuci's depressed mood vanished instantly; emotions come and go quickly.
"By the way, how did you enter your sea of consciousness?" Xie Shuci suddenly asked.
Xie An was taken aback. For a moment, he almost blurted out his identity, but in the end, he held back.
"I don't know," Xie An said.
Xie Shuci released his arm, frowning in confusion. Could it be because he touched Zixi's hair? Otherwise, the little blind man alone could not possibly enter Xu Yi's sea of consciousness.
Perhaps because she had just had a frank conversation with the blind boy, Xie Shuci's mind was a little foggy, and before she knew it, she was back to thinking about the blind boy again.
So, have they finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel?
It doesn't feel real at all, and it's not as exciting as I imagined.
The little blind man acted as if he had just had a normal dinner.
"What are you thinking about?" Xie An asked when he remained silent for a long time.
Xie Shuci propped himself up on his knees, resting his chin on his hands, looking rather bewildered. "I've never been in a relationship before, so what's going on between us?"
Xie An was taken aback by his question. The words he used were strange and unusual, but he could vaguely guess what they meant. However, he didn't know how to answer Xie Shuci's question.
Xie Shuci had no experience, and neither did he.
Even if I've seen it before, I'm not interested in it.
Xie Shuci felt increasingly uncertain as he thought about it, so he simply turned to look at the little blind man and said, "Let me confirm with you."
"What?"
"You—you like me, don't you?"
"Mm." Xie An nodded, paused for a moment, and said, "I like it."
"oh."
With Xie An's reply, Xie Shuci felt much more at ease.
Hearing his unremarkable answer, Xie An was displeased and frowned slightly, "And what about you?"
"Me?" Xie Shuci blinked. "Xie An, can't you even be a little self-aware? If I didn't like you, would I let you kiss me?"
"So, do you like it or not?" Xie An seemed determined to pry those two words out of his mouth.
Looking at his unusually serious expression, Xie Shuci felt a tingling sensation in her heart, as if a gentle breeze had swept over her. A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. She leaned against his shoulder and said with a beaming smile, "I like you, I really like you, I like you a lot, I like you the most. I like you so much that I want to be with you for a lifetime, not just this lifetime, but the next life, and the life after that."
Xie Shuci had little experience in this area, but the little blind man gave him enough sense of security, as if as long as he admitted it, a high wall could be built around Xie Shuci, allowing him to express himself boldly and confidently.
Upon hearing his words, Xie An's eyes flickered, his heart suddenly raced, and an indescribable emotion swirled in his heart, making him feel lightheaded and unable to stand on solid ground.
Actually, it's not hard to describe.
This emotion is called joy.
He had never experienced this emotion before, so it was completely unfamiliar to him.
Words are more ephemeral than emotions; he would never believe them, nor would he be swayed by anyone's words.
But at this moment, his heart was filled with joy because of Xie Shuci's words.
Along with the joy, a pain ripped through his internal organs, as the chaotic spiritual energy surged through his body, as if trying to tear him apart from the inside.
It felt as if a rope was wrapped around his heart, with both ends tightening as if it intended to crush his heart into a pulp.
"Mmm," Xie An replied, forcing himself to stay awake.
No! Xiao Xun, you shouldn't have done this!
You cultivate the path of slaughter; you want to kill everyone in the world, and no one can control your destiny!
You shouldn't, you shouldn't be because of him...
Him? Who? Who is it?
Countless voices suddenly echoed in his mind. If thousands or tens of thousands of ants were crawling on his head, he would feel extremely disgusted and want to destroy these ant-like things at all costs!
But... But...
However, Xie Shuci said that he had no right to decide someone's life or death...
No, why should we listen to him?
Xiao Xun, aren't all those who stood in your way dead? Kill him, kill him! Make him a sacrifice! Then you can... much sooner...
Like? What is liking?
Wouldn't it be better to eliminate meaningless things as soon as possible?
A surge of rage welled up inside him, as if it wanted to tear his chest open, but it was no use; Xie Shuci was still there…
"What’s wrong with you?"
Xie Shuci looked up and saw that Xie An's face was deathly pale and his body was trembling slightly. He immediately became nervous.
Xie An gritted his teeth, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and said, "It's nothing."
"Are you alright?" Xie Shuci asked suspiciously, touching his face with her hand. "Why do you look so pale?"
Xie An clasp
The force gripped his wrist immensely, as if it were trying to crush his bones.
"hiss--"
Xie Shuci gasped in pain, "W-what are you doing?"
"I'm a little thirsty, could you get me some water?" Xie An said.
Xie Shuci looked at him with some doubt, but dared not delay, "Then wait for me a moment."
Xie Shuci turned and ran into the cabin.
The instant he left, Xie An clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the old ship planks and the hem of his clothes.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body emanated black spiritual energy mixed with blood streaks, carrying an endless aura of slaughter.
As if he didn't want to be discovered, he suppressed his anger, but now he was eager to vent it. Under constant restraint, his eyes were bloodshot as his gaze swept over the green bamboo standing on both banks.
Several bamboo rats darted swiftly through the bamboo forest. Xie An brought two fingers together, transforming spiritual power into a sword blade, and hurled two sword energies into the forest. The bamboo rats squeaked as they were torn to pieces by the sword energies, leaving behind a bloody mess.
However, before Xie An could catch his breath, several figures leaped out from the forest. One of them held a longbow and pointed the arrow at Xie An. With a flick of his right hand, the arrow ripped through the air with a "whoosh" and aimed directly at Xie An's brow.
Xie An's eyes narrowed sharply, but before he could make a move, the arrow was intercepted in mid-air by a burst of spiritual energy.
Xie An wiped the blood off the ground with one hand and sat there motionless.
As soon as Xie Shuci stepped out of the cabin, he saw arrows flying towards Xie An. His heart trembled, and before his mind could fully react, his body had already activated its spiritual power to block the flying arrows in the air.
"Who are you people?!" Xie Shuci asked angrily.
Upon hearing the commotion, Sikong Xin, his companion, and their dog all rushed out of the cabin.
Several masked men carrying bows and arrows stood gracefully on the bamboo tips, coldly watching the people on the cargo ship.
The cultivator holding the Sunset Longbow swept his gaze over the people on the ship, pausing briefly when it passed over Sikong Xin and Liu Dazhuang, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but only for a moment.
Sikong Xin was also stunned when he saw the Sunset Longbow in the cultivator's hand, and then frowned.
The Sunset Longbow is a magical artifact belonging to Deng Linyin, the third disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect within the territory of Futu.
"I have no intention of opposing you all, please refrain from meddling in my affairs." - Deng Lin**
Judging from the voice, it was a young boy.
Xie Shuci suddenly remembered that the people who were chasing Xie An used bows and arrows as weapons.
Xie Shuci asked, "Are you from the Xiaoyao Sect?"
Deng Linyin was taken aback, and his gaze toward Xie Shuci became scrutinizing.
"So what if it is?"
Xie Shuci took out the token of the Xiaoyao Sect from his pouch and said, "Don't you know? Xie An and Xiao Xun have no relation. He was framed by Xiao Xun. This token was given to us by your fellow disciples. You should stop chasing him."
To everyone's surprise, Deng Linyin was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, asking, "What did you call him?"
"Xie An."
Deng Linyin sneered, "Don't you know? He is..."
"Dazhuang!"
Before Deng Linyin could finish speaking, Sikong Xin's brow twitched, and he immediately summoned Liu Dazhuang.
Liu Dazhuang was like a cannon; he didn't care about anything else and would shoot wherever Sikong Xin pointed. He immediately drew the axe from his waist, leaped off the deck, and chopped at the people on the bamboo tips.
"I don't care about any of your connections. Xie An is my brother's brother. If you can't get along with him, you're going against me!"
"You!" Deng Linyin glared fiercely at Sikong Xin, clearly having already recognized Sikong Xin and Liu Dazhuang.
Sikong Xin pretended not to see it and said to Xie Shuci, "Go and check on Xie An's situation first. Leave them to me and Dazhuang."
Xie Shuci nodded. "Thank you."
After saying that, Xie Shuci hurriedly went to Xie An's side.
"Are you alright?" Xie Shuci asked anxiously when he saw that his face was pale.
Xie An shook his head. "It's nothing."
"Scared? This carefree..."
"Why are these people at the gate like leeches? I already said it has nothing to do with you, are they crazy? If I hadn't arrived in time, you would have..." Xie Shuci felt a wave of fear as he recalled how the arrow had just flown towards Xie An.
Xie An said softly, "I'm fine, help me up."
Xie Shuci nodded, took his arm, and helped him stand up.
Sikong Xin and Liu Dazhuang were locked in combat with the members of the Xiaoyao Sect.
But as if by agreement, none of them dared to kill the other, and the fight was evenly matched.
However, Liu Dazhuang was completely out of it. Every time he swung his axe, he used all his strength. The members of Xiaoyao Sect were in a sorry state, both angry and anxious, but they dared not actually attack him.
"Sikong Xin! Can't you control this mad dog?"
Beneath the mask, Deng Linyin spoke through gritted teeth.
Sikong Xin said helplessly, "He doesn't know Xiao Xun's identity."
Deng Linyin asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"
“The reversal of fate is related to Xiao Xun. While he is now willing to cooperate, I want to find out the truth about this matter.”
Sikong Xin and Deng Linyin were old acquaintances, both renowned disciples in the Floating Pagoda Realm.
"But what exactly did Xiao Xun take from the Free and Unfettered Sect? What was it that made you go to such lengths, even sending the third disciple of the Free and Unfettered Sect to chase after him and kill him?"
"He... In short, this matter has nothing to do with your Sikong family, so you'd better not ask any more questions!"
Not long ago, the Xiaoyao Sect had clearly tracked down Xiao Xun's whereabouts, but they didn't tell anyone. Instead, they wanted to secretly kill him, indicating that they didn't want others to know Xiao Xun's location, nor did they want him to die at someone else's hands. It's likely that Xiao Xun has a significant weakness that the Xiaoyao Sect has been given a hold over.
That's interesting! Absolutely interesting!
"Then I advise you not to overestimate your abilities. You can't kill Xiao Xun."
Whom do you look down on?
“I’ve already tried, and even in my state of demonic possession, I’m no match for him. I advise you not to provoke him now, or it will only backfire,” Sikong Xin said earnestly.
Just as Deng Linyin was about to retort, a furious shout suddenly rang in his ears.
"Those who dare to hurt my brother's brothers, I, Liu Da... I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!"
The two were having a pleasant conversation when Liu Dazhuang suddenly raised his axe and swung it at them.
Deng Linyin hurriedly dodged, unable to help but curse, "You brainless idiot!"
"My goodness! You managed to dodge that? You're quite skilled! How about this move?!"
Liu Dazhuang imbued his axe with spiritual power and chopped down hard, the blade flashing and creating a shockwave as it struck Deng Linyin.
Upon seeing this attack, Deng Linyin knew that if he were to take this blow, he would either die or be crippled! He stepped into the void and leaped upwards, avoiding the shockwave in the air.
With a loud "boom" behind them, everyone looked down and saw that the cargo ship had been split in two.
Xie Shuci was walking along peacefully when the ship suddenly began to shake violently. Just as he was about to grab the little blind boy, cracks appeared in the deck beneath his feet. Before he could react, he fell into the water with a splash.
Damn, what kind of terrible luck is this?
Is this retribution for his harming minors?
"Help!!"
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